This invention is directed to the field of drumsticks, and, more particularly, to an improved drumstick having a striking section with an increased surface area for striking a drumhead.
As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the classic or traditional drumstick has an elongated, tubular shape with a substantially consistent surface area and cross-sectional thickness extending along the entire length of the drumstick. The traditional drumstick normally is made of wood and has a plastic piece at the striking end of the stick, i.e., the end of the stick that strikes that drumhead. The traditional drumstick provides a xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d sound when it strikes a drumhead or cymbal. Moreover, the wood that comprises a substantial portion of the body of the stick tends to suffer rimshot damage that results from portions of the stick striking the metal rim that normally surrounds that drumhead.
Several variations on the traditional drumstick were developed to make the stick more durable and to provide a xe2x80x9csofterxe2x80x9d sound. One such variation is a stick with a durable, metal body that employs a series of wire brushes for striking the drumhead to provide a xe2x80x9csofterxe2x80x9d sound. It is also known to construct drumsticks from polymeric materials instead of wood to make the sticks more durable. Examples of the foregoing types of drumsticks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,341,716; 5,044,250; 5,179,237; and 4,246,826 and are commercially available under the trademarks HOT RODS, BLASSTICKS and WOODWACKS. These commercially available sticks are used mostly for a xe2x80x9csofterxe2x80x9d sound in acoustic, jazz, country, or soft rock situations . A problem, however, with these commercially available xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d sounding drumsticks is that they are relatively more complicated to manufacture than the traditional stick. These softer sounding drumsticks are typically constructed from a multitude of parts. An additional problem with these sticks is that they provide too xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d a sound for some musical situations.
Before the present invention, the options typically available to a drummer where the traditional drumstick that provided a xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d sound and the foregoing variations that provided a xe2x80x9csofterxe2x80x9d sound, but which were constructed from numerous parts and thus were more complicated to manufacture than the one piece traditional stick. There was thus a need in the art for a durable drumstick that provides a xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d sound and had the ease of construction of the traditional drumstick. There was also a need for a drumstick that could provide a sound that was xe2x80x9csofterxe2x80x9d than the traditional drumstick but xe2x80x9charderxe2x80x9d than the soft sounding drumsticks previously known.
The present invention addresses the foregoing needs. In one aspect, the invention is directed to a drumstick with an increased surface area for striking a drumhead. The drumstick comprises a handle, a striking section for striking the drumhead, and a mid-section connecting the handle and the striking section of the drumstick. The handle may be of any shape that is suitable for the user (the drummer) for gripping and holding the drumstick. The mid-section of the drumstick has a certain width in a horizontal plane and a certain vertical cross-sectional thickness. The striking section comprises a continuous planar surface having a width in a horizontal plane that exceeds that of the mid-section and having a vertical cross-sectional thickness that is less than that of the mid-section.
In another aspect of the invention, the striking section of the drumstick comprises a series of rivets positioned on a leading end of the planar surface of the striking section.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the striking section of the drumstick comprises a series of wire inserts on the planar surface extending from a leading end of the striking section towards the mid-section of the drumstick.
In another aspect of the invention, the drumstick is constructed from a single piece, durable polymeric material, which is formed by injection molding.